The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi: Uzumaki Jiraiya
by WhaleTheFatDolphin
Summary: The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi is about a strong, brave ninja who vowed never to give up. Becoming the savior of the world, the ninja was named Uzumaki Naruto. He built a legacy with the support of those close to him and now, he wants to pass it on. There is a new ninja who is just as brave and strong. His name is Uzumaki Jiraiya. {Post-manga AU where epilogue is nope. R&R!}
1. Enter! Uzumaki Jiraiya!

**Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi: Uzumaki Jiraiya**

**The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi is about a strong, brave ninja who vowed never to give up. Becoming the savior of the world, the ninja was named Uzumaki Naruto. He built a legacy with the support of those close to him and now, he wants to pass it on. There is a new ninja who is just as gutsy. His name is Uzumaki Jiraiya.  
><strong>

**A/N: **Clearly, there are people out there who were not satisfied with the ending. I'm one of those people. I probably would've been more happy if things didn't seem so glossed over and quick-paced. Nonetheless, it was Kishimoto's decision and I won't bash or hate on it, it was still a very solid ending. But, that doesn't stop me from imagining a different outcome and writing about it, right? Right. There are going to be some things similar to the epilogue, though not many.

And remember, questions are loved and critiques are to die for! If you continue reading, I'm sure most will be answered!

* * *

><p><strong>1. Enter! Uzumaki Jiraiya!<strong>

* * *

><p><em>"In their Genin years, many of my family earned their respectful nicknames. For my grandma, she earned her nickname by being hot-tempered and beating up anyone who tried to tease her about her hair. She was nicknamed the Red Hot Habanero. My dad, all while he was a genin, was nicknamed the Hero of the Hidden Leaf and the Savior of this World. Now, those are nicknames that are hard to live up to.<em>

_Oh, me? Well, you see, I don't have a really cool nickname like my dad. It's more like my grandma's. But even then, her's is a lot cooler than mine."_

"Red Bean-sama!"

_"Red Bean-sama. I was nicknamed after red beans. I suppose it's not too bad. I mean, everyone does eat red beans during auspicious occasions. So in a way, I'm kind of representing success and celebrations, right?_

_I wish."_

"Red Bean-sama! Won't you wait up, huh?" the small boy's best friend, the one who created such a nickname, exclaimed. The young Uzumaki finally stopped and waited for his friend, his lip puckered in the slightest to show his distaste.

To be utterly honest, the reason for his nickname came from his uniquely colored hair. It was a dark maroon color that contrasted greatly against his father's bright yellow hair. Hardly anyone spoke of his mother, but the boy's father mentioned that his hair was a mixture of his mother's and his grandmother's. The young Uzumaki was glad he didn't inherit his father's blondness and only his bright blue eyes. But the dark red led to his friends calling him Red Bean.

Once his father became the Seventh Hokage, everyone then began to call him Red Bean-sama, just as they called his father Hokage-sama.

"I'm named after one of the best shinobi my dad has ever met and you call me Red Bean-sama? I won't stand for it!" the young boy exclaimed, his nose scrunching as he brought his fist above his head. His best friend simply snorted and continued to walk towards the Academy.

"C'mon then, Jiraiya, hurry up and let's go!" Ashi exclaimed before he started to run. Jiraiya hesitated for a small, brief moment before letting out a laugh. He quickly began to chase Ashi to the Ninja Academy, where they both attended.

When Ashi and Jiraiya entered the class, they both were panting heavily and smiling widely. They were one of the same energies, always happy and always energetic. There was one huge difference between Inuzuka Ashi and Uzumaki Jiraiya.

"Ayo, Aburame-sensei, looking great today, huh?"

"Good morning, Aburame-sensei!"

_"A lot of my instructors say that I'm hardly like my father. I am politer and I don't set out to prank people. Trust me, my dad tried to get me into pranking. I kid you not. When I was younger, about 6, my dad thought I was old enough to learn how to be a great prankster. So, he was trying to teach me on how to deface the Hokage monument, just like he did when he was younger._

_Unfortunately, for both of us, I was at a loss on what to paint. After a while at just staring at the faces and letting my paint drop from the brush, my dad decided to help inspire me. So, my dad was laughing away as he began to paint for me, writing 'Jiraiya was here-ttebayo!' all over the huge faces. But when someone noticed my dad painting and me swinging from the ropes, they immediately reported to the Hokage._

_I even remember telling Kakashi-sama, 'Look, I pranked! Aren't I a great prankster?'_

_It was at that point people knew that it was my dad painting the walls and not me, just from our little gimmicks in the way we talk. So I didn't get in trouble. My dad did. And I was then labelled as a non-prankster, much to my father's dismay."_

"Today is the day where I should say I will miss you. Why? Because today is your graduation from the Academy," the Academy teacher began, a clipboard in his hands, as he stood upright. He was a very stoic person and it was quite a difficult feat to get him mad. "But I can say that I won't miss some of you. The reason to this is because some of you are terrible students."

Everyone in the class knew he was talking about Ashi, the only reported student that managed to get Shino Aburame right pissed. As a consequence, the Inuzuka boy hung by the ceiling by the strength of Shino's bugs for the duration of the day. No one from that class would ever forget what it was like to see Ashi cursing like a pirate and Shino's surprisingly smug smirk.

"I will list the new Genin teams. Remember your teammates forever. Why? Because the strength of these bonds can be unbreakable if you put enough effort into it."

"Oh, geez, what's he getting into now, huh? He sounds like a librarian or something else incredibly boring," Ashi grumbled as he rested his cheek on the palm of his hand, his elbow propped up on the desk. It was now Jiraiya's turn to snort.

The teams of three were listed, some of the students whooping and others groaning about their partners. Nonetheless, Jiraiya waited earnestly for his team to be called. He wanted to be with Ashi, as they were a power pair who spent most of their time training together. It seemed logical to Jiraiya, although he couldn't say anything about each other's arguments that got out of hand.

"Team 7: Hyuga, Hoshi, Hyuga Hotaru and Inuzuka Ashi."

Jiraiya's eyes widened slightly as he looked towards his best friend. Ashi had his fists clenched and his jaw tightened. His wild eyes were locked onto the teacher as if it was his fault. Ashi looked the part of a dog handler. His hair was a dark brown, shaggy and styled into a messy bedhead style. His fang marks were a bright crimson and curved down his smooth cheeks. He wore a black short-sleeve shirt with a grey one-shoulder pack that acted very much like a sash. Underneath the black shirt, he wore a mesh shirt that had sleeves a few inches longer than the shirt on top. He wore dark grey pants that reached down to his calves with blue shinobi sandals. His right hand and wrist was bandaged, due to an accident he had when he was a child. Despite not being the smartest dog, Ashi knew when to bark and when not to.

The young Uzumaki was also a little upset, though he showed no reaction to the proclamation other than looking towards his friend and looking towards the Hyuga twins.

Hyuga Hoshi was the more outspoken and friendly twin. He had short, light brown hair and the iconic white pupil-less eyes of the clan. He wore a light blue button-up shirt with a high collar, along with dark blue capris pants. Hoshi also sported blue shinobi sandals. Overall, he had a very neat appearance, his hair always styled smoothly and his clothes never had a single spot of dirt on them. He was polite and kind, representing the more regal, princely image of the Hyuga clan. His sister, Hotaru, was more of the image that the Hyuga represented in battle, poised and cunning. She wore a beige midriff, long-sleeve shirt with buckles on the left side of her chest and a mesh shirt underneath. She also wore dark brown capris short that came up just above her knees, and with mesh that came down mid-calf. Her shinobi sandals were black. Hotaru's hair was raven black, with straight bangs and fringe that framed her face. The rest of her hair was tied up into a high ponytail, reaching down to the middle of her back. She hardly smiled and spoke with a superiority that some people found snobby. However, Hoshi was always there to soften that edge of hers. They were great students and would probably be greater teammates to the explosive, impulsive ninja that Ashi was going to be.

"Team 8: Nara Shikarou, Akimichi Choko, and Yamanaka Inokku."

Like that was any surprise.

There wasn't really a reaction, only Choka gripping Shikarou tightly in a warm hug. Everyone knew of Akimichi Chojarou, Choko's older brother that was already a Chunin. He was big, just like his respected father, and almost the spitting image. However, Choka was a whole different story. She was thin and small, incredibly small. She was labelled the shortest in the class and had cherubic cheeks that made her look younger than she actually was. She looked nothing like her father, with honey-blonde hair and bright purple eyes. However, everyone also knew that Choko was adopted, found as a baby during a scouting mission. Still, she was strong and could take a hit better than most kids her age. She wore a light green, long-sleeve haori over a bright pink short sleeve shirt. She wore a black skirt that came down to the middle of her thighs and up to just below her bust with the kanji "食" written Akimichi-style in the same bright pink on the left side of her skirt. Her honey-colored hair was tied up in a wide bun, neat and compact.

Shikarou was recognized as the laziest student in the class well before he enrolled. He found genius ways to avoid doing work and became the king of excuses. Nonetheless, he showcased enough of his abilities to be considered for graduation. Shikarou normally wore his hair down, unlike the rest of his clan, stating that even doing up his hair was too troublesome. It came down to his shoulders and he kept it away from his face by using a pair of black goggles. However, there were special occasions where he was forced to tie his hair up, such as Academy graduation day. His eyes were dark and his skin a light beige. He wore a dark green jacket with the Nara clan symbol on the back with a green-lined mesh t-shirt underneath. He wore dark blue capris pants and matching shinobi sandals.

Inokku always seemed to wear a cocky grin on his face, very similar to his mother's smug smirk. He inherited her wheat-blonde hair, and kept it just above shoulder length. He put it up in a ponytail with his bangs below eye level and pushed towards the right. His eyes were an emerald green that brightened and dimmed according to his moods. He was rumored to be the most popular boy in the Academy, both through skill and looks. Inokku wore a white cardigan jacket that had one black buckle that strapped across his chest. He had a purple sleeveless shirt underneath. He wore black capris pants with bandages on his calves and feet, along with black shinobi sandals. Despite being popular, Inokku was known to be quite awkward with girls, avoiding them at almost all costs. The only girl he could handle was Choko, who hugged him straight after she hugged Shikarou.

Now was the pinnacle moment. There were only six people left in the classroom to be given a team. Jiraiya was going to be either on team 9 or team 10. He was going to spend most of his Genin years with two of the five other students. Frankly, he didn't mind being with any of them, although when he was with the Uchiha for too long, a bad taste was left on his tongue from her spitfire attitude.

Team 9 was called out. Jiraiya was not on that team. Neither were two others. The other two didn't have to have Shino call out their names before they started reacting to their assigned positions.

"Like hell I'm going to be working with her!"

"Do you think anyone wants to be on the same team as you?"

"Team 10. Uzumaki Jiraiya, Uchiha Tsubame, and Haruno Ken."

_"That moment was my downfall into insanity. Spending time alone with Ken was no big deal, Dad and I went to the Haruno house for supper every now and then. Sakura-san was super nice and Ken was funny and spirited. Spending time alone with Tsubame-chan was something I've never really done. She didn't like people and she clearly didn't like my company, for whatever reason. But, spending time with Ken and Tsubame-chan together was something that required massive patience and understanding. I needed to master that, most of all."_

Jiraiya rested his cheek on his palm, a completely irritated, disinterested look on his face. Jiraiya himself didn't look too different from his father, save for his mahogany hair. He had bright cerulean eyes and a warm, peachy skin tone. He wore a track vest that had a large white collar and black shoulders, with the rest of the vest being a bright orange color, much like his father's. He bore the Uzumaki whirlpool symbol on the back of the vest. White arm warmers donned his hands and reached up to past his elbow, the fabric baggy and thick. He wore black track pants instead of his father's bright orange, considering he was taller than his father at that age. Jiraiya didn't have any gimmicks when he got excited or frustrated. Although his attire was similar and Jiraiya donned cheek markings as well, his were in the shape of an 'x' on both cheeks. He didn't know why or how the marks came to be, but his father always said not to be disheartened by them.

"I've heard that you Uchiha are just power-hungry sadists!" Ken yelled loudly towards Tsubame, who was on the other side of the classroom, "You don't see anything but red!"

"Well, I've heard that you Haruno folk are hardheads. Heh, must be true, considering that large forehead of yours," Tsubame spat out, standing up and placing a hand on her cocked hip.

Ken inherited a lot of things from his mother. For example, the signature pink hair that was only a shade darker than his mother's. It was hardly a difference and many would still call it cotton candy pink. Her temper also leaked into him, as well as her blunt force and strength. Something he inherited from his father was his tall stature, as he was the tallest in the classroom. He had broad shoulders and it was accentuated by his red sleeveless shirt with a zipper down the middle. He wore black gloves and black track capris, with blue shinobi sandals and a grey belt to hold up his pants. His skin was pale and fair. His eyes were also inherited from his father, a deep navy that almost looked to be black. Ken wasn't one to mess around with and Jiraiya knew that from firsthand experience. For some reason that was beyond Jiraiya's understanding, Ken loathed the Uchiha, especially Tsubame's father.

Tsubame, on the other hand, only hated Ken because he hated her. She was slender for her age, although many people didn't see that enough. Tsubame was a very tomboyish type of girl and didn't tolerate most things feminine. She wore a hooded, black zip-up coat that had a Uchiha symbol on the back of it. Her purple shorts came to just below her knees and were hardly form-fitting. She wore traditional shinobi sandals with bandages on her left ankle. Her shoulder-length hair was always tied up in a low ponytail with loose fringe that were swept to the left. She wore a purple ribbon like a headband, keeping her fringe at bay. It was the only thing remotely feminine about her attire, other than her facial features. She had naturally black eyes, although they were framed with thick lashes. Her skin was like pale porcelain. Her hair was mostly a silky black, although she donned a red highlight in her fringe. She didn't get along with anyone very well.

As the two continued to argue, Ashi began to snicker at Jiraiya. Of course, no one felt sympathy for him, who would most likely be stuck with listening to Ken and Tsubame's arguments for the rest of his conscious life. Jiraiya's bottom lip puckered out as his face slowly became more and more annoyed.

Finally, when he had enough with Ken and Tsubame arguing and Ashi being an idiot, Jiraiya stuck out his tongue and flipped Ashi off.

A buzzing could be heard as Jiraiya yelped, feeling his body being carried up from his seat. His eyes widened as he felt himself being turned upside down, looking at Ashi looking up. It wasn't long before Jiraiya was stuck to the ceiling with a million bugs surrounding him, making sure he wouldn't move. Nonetheless, Jiraiya tried to wiggle himself out of the hold. Ashi began to guffaw at the young Uzumaki, even slapping his knee. Ken looked a little guilty while Tsubame seemed standoffish, as per the usual.

"You are being punished, Jiraiya. Why? Because being disrespectful is not the way Hokage-sama's son should act," Aburame stated plainly and continued on explaining about what will happen with the ceremony. Jiraiya had no choice but to listen upside-down.

_"How on earth did Dad handle a Haruno, a Uchiha and an Inuzuka all at once? And how will I be able to handle them without driving myself insane?"_


	2. Team 10: Emotional Dicks

**The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi: Uzumaki Jiraiya**

* * *

><p><strong>2. Team 10: Emotional Dicks<strong>

* * *

><p>When Jiraiya was finally let go by the insects, Shino almost expected him to fall on his face, like Naruto would have. However, Jiraiya landed nimbly on his feet and only had to lean on a desk to regain his balance. Ken and Tsubame waited for him patiently, the atmosphere tense and electrified.<p>

"Your Jonin sensei should be here momentarily," was all the teacher said before taking his leave. Jiraiya silently begged for Shino not to go because that meant being stuck with two people who hated each other. His blue eyes shimmered with a hopelessness as he stared towards the now open door.

"Red Bean-sama, who do you like better: me or her?" Ken obnoxiously yelled then pointed towards the Uchiha. Tsubame scowled.

"U-Uh, well, I've never… really talked to Tsubame-chan before. So I wouldn't know," Jiraiya muttered with a polite sheepishness. Instead of shying away like a scared squirrel, the young boy then let out a bright grin, scratching the back of his head.

Tsubame's scowl deepened but this time, it was directed towards Jiraiya. As an immediate response, Jiraiya stopped grinning. He puckered out his bottom lip, a habit he was notorious for when he was younger to get what he wanted. However, nowadays, it just signified how helpless he was in some situations.

Ken continued to do all sorts of antics to try and piss off Tsubame. And it was working. Tsubame was clearly showing restraint and frustration, as her jaw was completely tense and her brow completely knit together. He poked fun at her and he cursed so much that Sakura would have washed his tongue off with bleach.

"Are these my students?" a voice from the doorway asked. Finally. Ken stopped swearing from the top of his lungs and Tsubame's scowl softened some. Jiraiya finally un-puckered his lip and looked towards the teacher. "Well, clearly, some of you inherited your parents' genes."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Ken grumbled.

"It means that you're just as annoying as your mother," Tsubame finally spat out.

"And you're a huge dick, just like your father," the teacher suddenly said as he produced a clearly transparent smile towards the young Uchiha. Tsubame's eyes widened and she stepped back, clearly shocked at such a reaction from the Jonin. "Oh, right, I need to introduce myself. My name's Sai, and I'll be your sensei from now on."

* * *

><p>The group of shinobi found themselves situated on top of the Hokage's office building with the view of the city stretching beautifully. Jiraiya found himself staring off into the village skyline when Tsubame attempted to start an argument with Sai. However, no one could faze that utterly fake smile of his. Ken gave up when Sai insulted his looks, and more importantly, his mother's. Ken was a very appearance-driven teenager, seen through his toned build and well-kept hair. Sai didn't insult Jiraiya too much, but that was because the two didn't have a formal conversation yet.<p>

"How about we tell ourselves about each other instead?" Jiraiya spoke up, still looking out at the view. "That way we can't argue based on assumptions, right?"

"Yeah, let's do it!" Ken easily agreed.

"Hm, how would you like to go about this?" Sai asked, his face thoughtful just in the slightest.

"Well, we could tell each other our names, and what we like and dislike… what we like to do in our spare time… and our dreams for the future!" Jiriaiya exclaimed, turning around and face his team. To help make the atmosphere more friendly, the young boy got up and sat on the railing he was leaning on. He rested his hands on his knees so he could look at everyone earnestly and as politely as possible. "I can go first if you like."

When the others complied in some way or another, Jiraiya happily chirped, "My name is Uzumaki Jiraiya. I like red bean ice cream and ramen, I guess. I dislike eating ramen all the time, even if it's kinda good. I like to cook when I'm not training and…I want to be just like my father when I get older!"

"What? You mean the Hokage? That's some shallow dream," Tsubame murmured and scoffed. Jiraiya's grip on his knees tightened some as he resisted the urge to flip her off, too.

"I didn't say Hokage. I said like my father. You'd be surprised at how many lives my father's changed. And it wasn't because he was Hokage," was all Jiraiya said on the matter. He took a deep breath, reminding himself not to get too defensive, and resumed his cheery smile, nodding towards Sai to continue.

"I am Sai. I like art and I dislike people who don't appreciate art. In my spare time, I like to draw, and my future plans are to… hm, it doesn't seem like I have any," Sai spoke in that fake cheeriness. It was an attempt to imitate Jiraiya's genuine politeness, although it wasn't a very great attempt. All he talked about was art, which didn't really give an insight to him as a person.

Jiraiya decided to overlook the absolute fakeness of his teacher and smile towards him, then nodded towards Ken. The Haruno boy did a two-finger salute then bowed his head. "Haruno Ken. I like to volunteer at the hospital and play trivia games with my mom and I dislike her sweet cooking. In my spare time, I work out and train. My dream is to become the best medical-nin, even better than Tsunade-sama!"

Jiraiya grinned, knowing most of the things he said already. Ken was like a second best friend, though some could say that they were more like brothers. Then with a polite nod, careful not to provoke her in whatever form, he turned to Tsubame.

"Tch. My name is Uchiha Tsubame. There's not many things I like out there. What I dislike is people, since they're so judgemental. I don't have any hobbies and my dream is to wipe the red off of the slate of my clan's name."

Ken clicked his tongue, although Jiraiya wasn't too sure if it was out of annoyance or surprise. Because, honestly, Jiraiya was surprised. He didn't know that the daunting shadow of the Uchiha plagued Tsubame rather than comfort her. After all, he didn't mind the presence of his father on everything he did. Having his father around all the time was a comfort. A huge comfort. And he knew the same went to Ken about his mother.

But Jiraiya and Ken both lost a parent when they were young. Tsubame still had both of her parents in her life. Things were different for her.

Their sensei was silent for a moment before smiling. It was a different smile. It wasn't transparent, fake or even mocking. It was quite genuine. Jiraiya liked the look on his teacher.

Sai was a tall shinobi with black hair and eyes that were exactly the same shade. His skin was powdery white, and looked to have almost no pigment whatsoever. He wore a black jacket that had grey on the front side, along with a zipper. The jacket was midriff, and exposed his bare stomach. He wore a small red backpack with straps that went along his chest. He wore completely black pants and a shuriken holster on his right thigh. He wore one black glove that exposed his thumb and index finger. So a smile on him did some good. A genuine, happy smile on anyone does everyone some good.

"Have you had your fill yet, little dick?" Sai asked Tsubame, which caused her to stand up from where she was sitting. She looked like a demon ready to unleash some sort of hellfire. "Well, you certainly don't seem to keep your emotions in check. You know, that can be detrimental to your performance as a shinobi. The only one I can see that showed some restraint and resolve is Jiraiya-sama and he was the one I was expecting to be the biggest dick of all."

Tsubame then blinked. She let out a low growl and looked away from her teacher. "It was just a damn test."

"And one you aren't very good at it. Tomorrow, you'll be tested even further on your ability as shinobi. I'm not sure if your instructor told you this but, there will be only 9 Genin out of the 30 graduates. If you can't keep your emotions in check, you'll be sent straight back into the Academy where childish dicks like you belong. There is much more to being a shinobi than simply knowing the basics of ninjutsu, taijutsu and genjutsu. I hope you come prepared for that. Meet me in this exact spot at 5 am sharp, and we will discuss the training in detail then. Oh, and don't forget, a full stomach often makes for upset stomachs when it comes to this training. It's best not to eat beforehand," Sai commented. Jiraiya blinked, trying to make sense of everything he said, before the Jonin disappeared in a puff of smoke. The three teenagers were left alone, to which Tsubame bitterly scowled in the boys' direction.

"Eat something. If he tricked us then, who's to say he won't trick us again?" she seethed, although it was supposed to be advice. Ken scoffed and dismissed her with a wave of his hands, snootily crinkling his nose. Once again enraged, Tsubame jumped away from the rooftop. Jiraiya could see the storm brewing on top of her head from where he was sitting and silently wondered how Ken was able to handle all that anger being directed at him.

"Do you really think we should eat something, Ken?" Jiraiya asked, before looking back towards the village.

"Better safe than sorry. Do you want to throw up in the middle of training? Because I sure as hell don't," he responded, clicking his tongue once again before stretching. "I better be in time for feeding the patients. I'll see you around, Red Bean-sama."

* * *

><p>No one was home when Jiraiya arrived. It was something that he's been told to get used to, but no one said that getting used to it was going to be so hard. Jiraiya always felt a tinge of disappointment and sadness when his father didn't arrive from home when everyone else did. Even on days off, Jiraiya would often spend them alone and watching his father's ramen get cold.<p>

_"What I said about cooking was not a joke. It was one of my most passionate hobbies. Dad didn't know how to cook very well and he often got frustrated when it came to learning things from recipe books. He got others to help him as much as he can. He can cook some things, as a result of him never giving up. But he was far from the greatest._

_I wanted to help out, too. I was the one that was complaining about eating ramen all the time. Shouldn't I take initiative, too?_

_So, when I was about 8 years old, I went to the Ichiraku Ramen Shop. Ayame-san was finishing up the last round of dishes, as it was going to be closed soon. Dad always ushered the importance of saving money and thus, gave me his wallet as a child. I ended up calling it Kerokero-chan. I placed a hefty Kerokero-chan on the counter._

_Ayame-san asked me if I wanted to buy something, since I was usually with Dad. I shook my head and exclaimed, 'Teach me how to cook, please, Ayame-san! I can pay you!'_

_Apparently, I was so adorable that Ayame-san didn't take my money. Ever since then, Ayame-san taught me how to cook great ramen and other things on the side. Dad didn't complain. He loved my ramen, actually. There was no need for instant ramen bowls anymore._

_I was happy that he was happy. He was happy that I was happy. And we introduced new flavors to our taste buds every now and then, which made our tongues happy."_

"Wah, smells great in here! What are you cooking up there?" Naruto exclaimed as he entered the small apartment. Originally in a glum state, Jiraiya brightened up instantly when he heard his father's voice.

"Miso ramen, Dad! You're going to love it!" the teenager exclaimed, showing a bright, toothy grin. He blew lightly on the hot ramen before placing it on the table, complete with a set of chopsticks. Naruto walked into the kitchen but before he sat down, he took off his Hokage jacket and placed the hat on its hook. Jiraiya then sat in his respective seat, where his own bowl of ramen lay quaintly.

"So, how'd it go? Who are your teammates? Your Jonin instructor?" Naruto began asking, eating with his mouth full. His cheeks began to widen, as if he were a hungry squirrel. It was hard for just anyone to understand his muffled speech. But Jiraiya grew up with warbled Naruto talk. He wasn't just anyone.

"Dad, you know who my teammates are. You had to approve them."

Naruto paused then let out a small sheepish chortle as he rubbed the nape of his neck with his bandaged hand. It was easy to guess why Naruto asked Jiraiya such questions. Naruto didn't have someone to ask those for him, to ask him how his day was, to ask him what was for supper. Even if it was practically the same thing everyday, Naruto still loved to ask his son what he was cooking. It was his duty as his father, and he really wanted to be a good father.

"Ken and I will be probably get along great. Tsubame-chan… well, I don't know about her. She seems really hard to get close to but I will try my best! I don't know, she kind of—"

"Leaves a bad taste in your mouth?"

"... Yeah," Jiraiya paused his eating and looked at his father. "Wait, Dad, were you—?"

"Team 7. Me, Sakura-chan and Sasuke. Old Man Third said that it would balance us all out, and in a way, it kind of did in the future. We didn't see it right away… at all," Naruto explained aimlessly, as he waved his chopsticks in the air before shoving noodles into his mouth. "The thing you have to remember about your teammates, even with little Tsubame, is that you never give up on them. No matter how much you want to shove their face into a wall."

"Are we going to all balance each other out, too? Sai sensei was talking about how our emotions were out of check."

"Mm, he's right! Emotions are powerful things. You can use all the negative emotions you get from other people and use them to strive to be better. Or you can use all those negative things and turn into something you wouldn't be proud of. Learning how to use your emotions is something you're not really taught at the Academy, it's more of an on-the-job kind of thing. Like a crash course. Anyway, it's best for little Tsubame and Ken to learn those things, from you and Sai," Naruto explained some more, shrugging with one shoulder every now and then. His blonde hair was short and his face was more angular but that didn't deter his childlike charm. "It's how I got to become Hokage. It's how Sasuke and Sakura-chan ended up the way they are now."

Jiraiya tilted his head at the last comment. He finished the small amount of noodles he placed in his mouth and smacked his lips. "What do you mean by that, Dad?" he asked both curiously and nonchalantly. It was a way to get what he wanted, by seeming uninterested and polite at the same time. He didn't know why but it urged some people to find a reason to get interested, the only solution to give more information.

"Just because your pops is the Hokage doesn't mean you get to know everything, Jiraiya!" Naruto exclaimed with a laugh. His father caught onto Jiraiya's curious tactics the most and when he did his best to deploy them. So, instead of getting huffy like he did with the other villagers, Jiraiya grinned and shoved a mouthful of noodles in his mouth.

There was a long pause before anything else was said. Jiraiya was trying his best to infer the meaning of his father's words. While Naruto was simply enjoying his ramen.

"Jiraiya?"

"Mm?" the young teenager absently murmured as he finished his last chewing.

"I love you." Naruto didn't look up from his ramen or pause with his eating. But with the sudden lower tone, it was completely serious. It was heartfelt and filled with warmth. It was everything that a child wanted to hear from a father. It made the young Uzumaki stop his eating and look towards his father. Jiraiya's blue eyes brightened. It was always just he and his father. He didn't remember his mother. It was too sensitive for either of them to talk about. Thus, Naruto had to love as if there were two parents. There was a lot said in those three words because of that.

"I love you, Dad."


	3. Trial! Teamwork is Not Going to Work!

**The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi: Uzumaki Jiraiya**

**A/N: **Apologies for not updating as much as I could. I was having trouble on figuring out how to do this next part. I was typing things over and over again only to throw it all out. I think I did up four different drafts before finally settling with this version. Anyway, I hope you like it and the next update shouldn't be as long!

* * *

><p><strong>3. Trial! Teamwork is Not Going to Work!<strong>

* * *

><p>"Good morning, little dicks!" Sai exclaimed as the three teenagers walked begrudgingly towards the Jonin. Jiraiya let out a yawn, in which he instantly covered his mouth with the back of his hand. Ken and Tsubame wouldn't even dare look at each other in case they were to catch each other's cases of the morning grumps. "I hope you didn't eat anything because today is going to be a long day."<p>

All three of them wore their forehead protectors across their forehead. Tsubame's purple ribbon wasn't used as a headband and instead was used to make a bow for the ponytail that sat comfortably at the base of her neck.

"Today's training test is very simple. See these two bells?" Sai asked as he held up silver bells attached to a small red string, "You are to retrieve them from me. Shouldn't be too hard. But here's the thing, little dicks, and remember it. Our lives as shinobi is to protect what we hold dear. We are supposed to protect the village. So, with that in mind, the village is our training area today. Come and attack me if you so wish, but you can't harm any of the villagers or put them in danger. Once you have a bell, you are to report back to the rooftop immediately and only then will you pass this test."

"Okay, sounds great and all… but there's only two bells," Ken said, thrusting his hands into his pockets. "There's three of us, so that means one of us doesn't pass the test at all. Are you sincerely trying to pit us against each other? I thought that's why we're sent up into teams so we can work together instead of tearing each other apart."

"I'm not sure, you tell me. You have until noon hour, when Hokage-sama comes up to the rooftop and eats ramen like he does every day. If you don't have a bell in time or you've harmed a villager, you'll have to watch the rest of us eat our lunches and you'll be sent back to the Academy," Sai explained further.

As a response, Jiraiya and Ken glanced towards Tsubame, their faces one of unease and regret. Tsubame was welling up with smug pride, as she was one who caught his bluff. And she was the only one that ate breakfast.

"The test begins now. Good luck," Sai chirped before he brought two fingers up in front of his face. And just like that, he was gone. Somewhere in the village, ready to defend his two bells.

"What do you think our best bet is?" Jiraiya asked, his fingers playing with the edge of his arm warmer. He was looking out at the village view. There was nothing that gave hint to the troubles the team would have to endure that morning, as Jiraiya was sure that there'd be troubles. "Should we work together?"

"There are only two bells. There's no point in working together if one of us will be sent to the Academy no matter what," Tsubame chided, crossing her arms over her chest in a snobby manner. She had her chin held high and her hip cocked to one side.

"I think we should. He said that it was up to us to decide on whether or not working together is the point of this exercise. And remember, he's a Jonin so if you got some magical jutsu up your sleeve, we are not going to stand a chance against him," Ken countered, placing his hands on his hips. Tsubame scoffed.

"You're doubting my skill? Let me remind you that I am the highest ranking shinobi of the entire graduating Academy! You are only subpar compared to me and Jiraiya's no better!" Tsubame exclaimed, her black eyes deadset and cold. Jiraiya paled and continued to fiddle with his arm warmers, bringing them up to his chest. He wasn't even arguing with her and he got pulled into it.

"That proves nothing! You Uchiha are one and the same! You think you're so high and mighty and you're not afraid to knock down people to climb up the ladder. This is why no one wants to work with you!" Ken exclaimed.

"What if I don't want to work with anyone else? Did you ever think about that? Everyone else is just the same and it seems that I'm the only one who sees that!" Tsubame seethed.

_"I wanted to punch them both right there and then. I wanted to slam their face in the wall and yell some really corny thing that Dad would say. I just wanted to get mad. But I knew patience and understanding was the way to go. I wouldn't be able to help them if I beat them to a pulp. I needed to talk to them._

_But why did talking to them seem so hard? It seemed so much easier to flip both of them off and go find Sai-sensei. And maybe or maybe not shove their faces in a wall while I'm at it."_

With a deep breath, Jiraiya finally exclaimed, "You guys are terrible comrades! Which make you terrible shinobi!"

Surprised, the Uzumaki widened his bright blue eyes and covered his mouth with his right hand. He didn't expect to get mad at them like that. He didn't meet the other's eyes, which looked at him with shock. He immediately went back to fiddling with his arm warmers, unsure of how to get himself out of such a predicament. He continued on, though he still didn't look up at them, "We were set up in teams for a reason, everyone knows that. Maybe we all balance each other out or our styles compliment each other. Whatever the case may be, we weren't selected at random. It's not even 5 minutes into the test and we're bickering… well, we're bickering like childish dicks. That's clearly not why we were chosen to be a team."

Tsubame and Ken looked at each other. Tsubame didn't say anything. Neither did Ken. The Haruno boy decided to be the first to swallow his pride. He loathed the Uchiha and swore to have nothing to do with them. Today, though, he's not going to care about that. "So how about it? Red Bean-sama is right," he said, holding out his arms for the other to take.

Tsubame took a couple moments to consider her options. One, to work by herself and face the Jonin by herself. Two, to work with these two and face the Jonin, in hopes that teamwork will overpower skill. There was no determining factor on whether or not she'd get a bell. For all she knew, neither of them would get her a bell.

Sighing heavily, Tsubame gingerly took Ken's hand. However, she didn't shake it. Instead, she tightened her grip and hoisted him over her shoulder, letting his body crash onto the ground as she turned her heel. Jiraiya widened his eyes and was about to approach Tsubame.

"Save it, Red Bean. I don't like red beans and I never will. I think they're disgusting and putrid. So, next time, you try and call me terrible, I will squash you just like the bean that you are," Tsubame sneered before jumping off the roof. She retreated quickly, with energy that obviously came from her eating breakfast.

Jiraiya was offended, unbelievably so. He didn't mean to call her terrible. It was just that… they were indeed being quite terrible. However, he didn't let that get to his head. His dad trusted him to help these two keep themselves in check. Tsubame was going to be the hardest one of the two, there was no questioning it. Jiraiya went to help Ken to his feet.

Ken was steaming. He tried and he honestly did. But the damned Uchiha was being an arrogant fool like always. His hot-headed temper was getting to him as he gritted his teeth against each other. His eye twitched as he stalked to the edge of the rooftop, Jiraiya anxiously in tow. It wasn't hard to guess what Ken wanted to do to Tsubame.

"Ken, don't! You're a great shinobi, really. I didn't mean to say those things! Come on, let's work together to get that bell!" Jiraiya whined as he attempted to pull him away from the edge of the rooftop. If Ken managed to get off the roof, he'd be let loose on the village and on Tsubame with a boiling anger that'd scald anyone in sight. He was mumbling incoherently as he continued to walk, easily overcoming Jiraiya's strength. "If we prove that teamwork is the best bet, Tsubame would be shamed! Imagine that! She'd have to admit you're right! Ken!"

Suddenly, Ken stopped in his tracks, making Jiraiya fall to the ground from all the effort being let go. He let out a grunt and a whine, really tempted to just flip everything off and hide under the Hokage's desk, like he did when he was younger.

"Aha, you're right, Red Bean-sama! Alright, let's work together then! And who knows, if we find Sai-sensei first then we'd easily get those two bells and send Tsubame back to the Academy!" Ken howled out, suddenly elated that he could potentially embarrass her. Jiraiya got up with pursed lips, helpless at what he had accidentally caused.

* * *

><p>Jiraiya was casually looking around the village, looking as inconspicuous as he could. His blue eyes constantly scanned the morning crowd. Many of them smiled and bowed their heads to Jiraiya, the honourable son of the Hokage. He was slowed down, because he was just too polite not to do the same thing. It was about two hours since the test began and there hasn't been a sign of Tsubame or Sai. Everything was moving along as if it was just another day.<p>

A whistling noise strung through the air as a threat. Jiraiya was quick to get out of the way, a kunai slipping past him and lodging itself in the ground. A few people became startled and moved out of the way, not wanting to get hit. Jiraiya, to reconcile, hid at the base of an alley, pressing his back against the wall. If it was Sai and Tsubame, he needed to let the others know.

"My, my, aren't you daring? Where are your teammates?" Sai's voice called out. "I didn't expect you to be the one to face me head-on."

"Don't underestimate me," was all Tsubame spat out. Jiraiya gulped, thanking the heavens that Sai wasn't talking to him. He let out a soft sigh before peeking around the corner.

Tsubame was engaging Sai in hand-to-hand combat. Once the villagers realized that, they were quick to evacuate the street. Jiraiya watched as Tsubame continuously attacked Sai, throwing blows in a strategic flurry. The young teenager was quick to notice how she was drawing him back, closer against the wall. If he knew this, he was sure that Sai noticed as well.

Elsewhere, Jiraiya received intel from his clone that Sai and Tsubame were fighting on the same street as Ichiraku. Jiraiya had clones everywhere along the village, constantly scouting out for any signs of the others. This gave Ken and the original Jiraiya a much broader scope and an easier reaction time. The two boys quickly jumped towards the scene, eager to show what teamwork can do.

Ken was ahead just slightly as Jiraiya continuously explained the situation. Tsubame attempted to keep Sai in a corner, though he used the Body Flicker technique during a small opening to keep himself from her blows. Sai taunted her by staying on the same street, then began to use his unique technique. Jiraiya tried his best to explain it, though couldn't because he wasn't getting a mental image of that.

"Wait!" Ken suddenly said, "A black and white version of the supposed animal… right? You mean, like that bird, above us? Look closely!"

Jiraiya stopped in his tracks and looked up, noticing the strange sparrow that wasn't coloured like the others. It had strange, thick black features to it, almost as if it was a drawing come to life. The young Uzumaki nodded. "It's probably scouting for us… and that's why we couldn't find him before."

"He had his eye on us the entire time," Ken grunted before taking a kunai out of his shuriken holster and targeting the bird. As the sharp tool made contact with the strange sparrow, it exploded into a splat of ink. Ken cursed before Jiraiya's fingers began to play with the edge of his armwarmers.

The two continued on their way towards Sai and Tsubame, Ken grumbling incoherently and Jiraiya doing his best to come up with some other way to best their sensei. Now, they made sure to check their surroundings at all times, in case another inkling of a scout came after them. However, before the two made it to their target destination, Jiraiya let out a gasp and stopped.

"Sai-sensei disappeared and Tsubame-chan was looking for him and she found my clone... " Jiraiya stopped explaining then puckered out his bottom lip, "First, she refuses our working together then explodes at my clone for not helping her? Tsubame-chan's so confusing."

"That's a girl for you," Ken murmured as he stopped, looking around for any of Sai's scouts before sitting down on a rooftop bench. Jiraiya continued to stand,constantly looking out and listening to his clothes.

The entire setting seemed serene. It was still rather early in the morning, so the sun was rather low. The day was particularly cloudless which left for no shade amongst the shadows casted were long but not intimidating. Instead, they made the sky brighter and the open air warmer. All in all, it would've been a lovely morning. If not for the pursuit they were currently engaged in.

"Oh? Shikarou-kun, what are you doing up so early?" Jiraiya asked as the teenage Nara poked his head out from the staircase. Shikarou looked as disinterested as ever, with his hair down and his goggles pulled up over his forehead.

"I could say the same for you, Red Bean-sama. I don't usually see you out around this time," Shikarou said as he walked onto the rooftop. He stood next to Jiraiya with his hip cocked out to one side and his hand in his pocket.

_"At first, I had no idea what to say. I just assumed that because Shikarou-kun always slept in class, he slept all the time. I wasn't around in the morning, either. I was usually cooking for Dad who had to reach the office before I had to get to school. But, then again, Shikarou-kun always being up so early also gave reason to why he always slept in class. It just made me wonder what he was doing in the morning."_

"Ken and I are looking for our sensei, it's some test before he lets us become a Genin team," Jiraiya explained simply, waving dismissively to Ken who was paying attention to the landscape view of the village.

"Ah. Konohamaru-sensei said that we got the same thing, except our test is in the afternoon. So, I took my time this morning doing my daily shine-up," Shikarou said with a simple shrug.

"Daily shine-up, what's that?" Jiraiya asked with a raised eyebrow, though he gathered enough information to know what he was talking about. Shikarou let out a smug half-smile, his eyes shining with an unparalleled mischief. Then, he jerked his thumb back to him towards the Hokage monument.

Even if Jiraiya wasn't dubbed a prankster, Naruto still had the troubles of miscreant teenagers who defaced the monument daily. However, this teenager became sort of a like a vigilante, with no trace left of who could've done it. Every morning, Naruto got himself worked up over who could've done such a thing, though he had no idea where to start looking for the teenager. After all, in his time, he was the only who was gutsy enough to do that sort of thing and Jiraiya didn't inherit his prankster side.

In this time, it was Shikarou's gutsiness.

"So that's why you sleep during class? Because you spend the twilight hours panting over the Hokage's faces?" Jiraiya asked then let out a soft, amused laugh, bringing his hand up to his eyes to see the monument clearer, "You're some special kind of stupid, aren't you, Shikarou-kun?"

"Or some special kind of genius. It's been almost a year and a half and no one knows who does it, except you, Ken and Inokku. The best part is watching them clean it up, since they have no idea who did it, they have nowhere to direct their anger to," Shikarou explained with a chuckle in his voice. His usually lazy tone was laced with such amusement, Jiraiya began to question whether or not Shikarou was as lazy as he put out.

"Red Bean-sama, look! There's the Uchiha brat!" Ken exclaimed as he stood up, pointing towards a water tower. Tsubame was perched on top, scouring the view for something. It wasn't hard to guess that she was looking for Sai. Jiraiya had a tingling dread in the back of his mind that Tsubame was also looking for him because he didn't help her.

"Well, you certainly aren't the scouting type, giant. I mean, it's no wonder, people can see you from kilometres away. I just didn't figure that people could hear you from that far, too," Inokku chided as he climbed up the stairs. Ken's teeth gritted as his eyes became stone cold and irritated.

"Who the hell was asking you, sow?" Ken barked instantly.

"I am not a female, you goddamned son of a—"

"Enough!" Jiraiya hushed the two with a hiss, his voice lowering before he motioned to the water tower. Tsubame caught sight of them but her attention was shifted eastward, probably towards their teacher.

"It's bad enough that we don't have a lock on where our sensei is but if Tsubame-chan knows where we are, she's going to do all in her power to keep us away and you know that," Jiraiya said, snapping towards Ken in an aggravated whisper.

"I knew that the Uchiha girl was hard to work with but she's already set against her own teammates? That's troublesome on a whole other level," Shikarou commented then paused, looking towards Tsubame, "Hey, when is this test supposed to be over?"

"We got until noon," Ken muttered then furrowed his brow, which received ill-mannered teasing from Inokku, "Why?"

"Because I think we should have a little fun, don't you?" Shikarou mused, grinning devilishly. Inokku and Ken mirrored that grin. Jiraiya gulped, knowing full well what that kind of grin could mean.

_"I had Shikarou-kun, who I just found out was the mastermind behind the previous Hokage's daily facials. Even alone, knowing he had such a trouble-making side to him, I was going to be dragged into some sort of scheme._

_I also had Inokku-kun and Ken. Alone, they were just fine. But together, they were two ticking time-bombs. They always fought and yelled and tricked each other to no end. How their rivalry started I didn't know. When you spend time with the two of them together, you'll always end up being the rope that they're going to play tug-of-war with._

_All three of them together was, as Shikarou-kun would say, troublesome. And they all disliked Tsubame-chan. So not only did I have to worry about her well-being I had to worry about my own."_


	4. The Three-way Deadlock Inheritance

**The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi: Uzumaki Jiraiya**

* * *

><p><strong>4: The Three-way Deadlock Inheritance<strong>

* * *

><p>Jiraiya was doomed. Jiraiya was probably going to end up in a mental institution even if he succeeded in the test that Sai put out.<p>

"Why I call you guys my friends is something I'll never know," Jiraiya said with a pouty huff as he was dragged by the other three boys. Jiraiya was delicately incorporated into the plan that he had nothing to do with, so no matter how much he refused, Jiraiya was going to be part of the plan.

"You know what's something I'll never know? What that Uchiha brat sees in Inokku the sow," Ken snapped with a devilish grin. Inokku also shrugged, dismissing the insult that Ken threw for the sake of expressing his distaste of Tsubame.

"I can't talk to her but she's so persistent. Out of all the girls in the Academy, why did she have to continuously push to talk to me? Even if I could talk to girls, it's not like she's my first choice. She's just so… pushy," Inokku said with his chin held high. "Alright, Red Bean-sama, you got this?"

Jiraiya shook his head childishly, his bottom lip puckered out and his hands brought up to his chest while his fingers played with his armwarmers. "No, I don't got this. I don't want any part of this. What part of 'no' do you not understand?"

"Well, he sounds like he's got it!"

"You're not listening to me! I won't stand for it!" Jiraiya exclaimed, bringing his fists up into the air and flailing them, tantrumming like a child.

"Yup, you know, I think he's got it."

Jiraiya let out a loud, exasperated groan as he threw his head back. He didn't know why he called them his friends and he didn't know how he was dragged into things like these. He wanted to just rip out his hair or bash his head against the wall.

"Anyway, Red Bean-sama, you just have to distract the Uchiha brat while the rest of us set the prank up. Basically, any type of conversation you have with her will make her giddy so don't even worry about anything. The sow hasn't had any real conversations in her presence so she wouldn't be able to tell the difference," Ken explained, earning a glare from Inokku.

"Why do I have to be part of this?"

"Because Inokku can't talk to girls. He gets too nervous. We all know this. The Uchiha girl will just think that her persistence has paid off," Shikarou said exasperatedly.

"What makes you so sure?"

"Because she's a girl. If there's anything my dad has taught me about women, is that they'll think what they want no matter what's been given to them," Shikarou replied with ease before adding, "And that they can be really bossy and troublesome."

Jiraiya huffed once more. No matter how much he refused, he was going to end up doing this one way or another. He didn't like it. But there was nothing that was going to stop Ken from embarrassing Tsubame, especially with the help of Shikarou and Inokku.

Inokku took a deep breath then held out the seal for the Mind Body Switch Technique. Jiraiya gulped once before standing right in front of him. With a nod, Inokku performed the technique, yelling out "Shintenshin no Jutsu!"

For a moment, Jiraiya was sincerely worried about whether or not the technique would , before he knew it, he was looking at himself with ease. The first reaction Jiraiya made as Inokku was, "Whoa, my hair actually does look like the shade of red beans."

Ken and Shikarou burst out laughing for a moment, whereas Inokku (as Jiraiya) simply grinned. With a huff and a cross of his chest, Jiraiya could feel the difference of being inside Inokku's body. For one, Jiraiya had an incessant need to constantly flick his head to keep the blonde bangs out of his face, though it hardly obscured his vision. Jiraiya's hair was spiky, just like his dad's, so he had no need to worry about hair dangling in front of his face. Inokku was also taller than Jiraiya, which actually made quite a difference.

"So I can still use my sensory skills in your body, Red Bean-sama, and you can still control your clones while in mine," Inokku explained. Jiraiya's nickname sounded stranger when it came from his own mouth, considering he never used it to describe himself. It just showed how much they were going to have to play up in order to make this work. "The Uchiha girl is near my mom's flower shop… hurry up."

Jiraiya took a deep breath then nodded, heading off in the direction of the Yamanaka flower shop. The young Uzumaki actually had no idea that Tsubame had a crush on Inokku, or that she was capable of such affections. The way he described Tsubame's advances, Inokku was very wary of how flirtatious she could be. Which confused Jiraiya even more.

When he was a block away from the shop, Jiraiya slowed his pace considerably to that of a casual morning walker. He didn't want to alarm Tsubame who was probably trying to be inconspicuous as she waited in front of the shop, as Inokku said she did often. With a deep sigh, Jiraiya walked out onto the street.

"Oh, Inokku! There you are!" Tsubame suddenly called out. Jiraiya instantly made a face of panic, shifting his eyes back towards the way he came. The tone in her voice also gave rise to a prominent blush to his cheeks, as Jiraiya immediately attributed it to his father's Harem no Jutsu's voice. It was more of second-hand embarrassment and bad memories that caused him to blush than Tsubame herself.

"Uh...uh…" he mumbled instantly, frozen where he was standing. That's how Inokku described his nervousness, being unable to do things that he'd normally do. If it was Ken or Shikarou, he'd immediately retort something not so polite. But most girls made him freeze on the spot. He was pressured often to be a blunt and candid charmer from his mother and that pressure cracked him during actual confrontations with girls.

"How are you doing, Inokku? Want to take a walk with me? It's a lovely morning, isn't it?" Tsubame chimed, her voice seeping with sweetness. Jiraiya has never, ever seen such a side to her. It made him shift uncomfortably, knowing in the back of his mind that she wouldn't hesitate to call him (as Jiraiya) names.

"I-I… saw Jiraiya and Ken when I was with Shikarou… d-don't you have a test right now?" Jiraiya murmured, attempting his best to sound nervous and embarrassed. Which wasn't too hard, since he only had to continuously remember his father's Harem no Jutsu. That voice he used always whispered trouble, so putting that same feeling with Tsubame made it easy for him to wiggle and squirm uneasily.

Tsubame's pale cheeks were dusted with a pink tinge when she heard his voice. Her smile was bright and giddy, her eyes shining like Jiraiya's father did when the teenager made an exclusive recipe of ramen. Shikarou was right, Jiraiya noted.

"Well, of course, but I have until noon to finish it, and I thought I could take a break to see you. It won't be a problem, Inokku."

_"Don't let your eye twitch. Don't, don't, don't. Even if Tsubame-chan has the same arrogance as Ken. Even if they're more alike than different. Don't. You. Dare. Let. Your. Eye. Twitch."_

With a deep breath, Jiraiya continued, "You're not like… with any other people… why are you like this with me?"

Apparently, what he said was permission to let Tsubame latch onto his arm, snuggling her face onto the sleeve of his shirt. Jiraiya once again resisted the urge to do anything rash. However, he couldn't help but to squirm a little against her touch. Any attempt to move away ended up in Tsubame moving closer to him, regardless.

"Your chakra signature, it's so different and strong," she chirped. "And you're so hardworking and handsome. You have a charm unlike any other, Inokku."

_"Chakra signature? At first, I was confused. But then I remembered that Tsubame's mother was a legendary sensor. Her powers excelled beyond the Yamanaka clan and it was that kind of power that she passed down onto Tsubame-chan, along with all the Uchiha's prowess. It was no wonder she ranked the highest…"_

Tsubame continued to coo and chirp meaningless compliments towards Inokku. He was right. She was so pushy. She was clingy. She was flirty. She was a suck-up. That little tinge of pink remained on her cheeks. Yet, she effortlessly spoke without any hint of nervousness. This close, Jiraiya even noticed that she was wearing perfume, despite her tomboyish demeanor. She was… a teenage girl. Jiraiya could almost sigh of relief, glad she wasn't some sort of anger-bent fighter that hated everybody.

Most of her compliments flew over Jiraiya's head, until she blurted out, "Do you know what I don't get? Is why you call yourself friends with those other idiots. I mean, they're nowhere on your level and they're not the greatest of people."

"They're still my friends," Jiraiya suddenly muttered, "Ken, Shikarou… even Red Bean-sama… they're people who get on my nerves, yeah, but they're still good-hearted. Everything's not about skill."

_"I should note that I hoped that it was the first and the last time time I would call myself Red Bean-sama."_

Tsubame stayed quiet after that. Then, Jiraiya received information that they were done preparing for the prank. Inokku explained that he could distort their signatures, but not erase them completely. So, it'd seem like one of their family members are approaching, instead.

Jiraiya was panicking. Sure, Tsubame was mean. Sure, Tsubame offended him. Sure, Tsubame acted all standoffish in the most irritable way possible. But she had kind of a nice side to her.

"Tsubame-chan, I can't lie anymore!" Jiraiya finally exclaimed, though Inokku's voice didn't make it sound as childish as he felt. He stopped the two in their tracks and positioned Tsubame so that she was right in front of him. "You have to listen and believe me, okay. I am not Inokku-kun."

"What do you mean?" Tsubame asked warily, her snappiness returning instantly. The blush on her cheeks disappeared and she became on-guard.

"I'm Jiraiya. Listen, the other boys want to play a prank on you. They sent me here as Inokku-kun as a decoy, to stall you. But you're kind of nice when you're not hating the world. I don't want you to fall for whatever their prank is. Please, forgive me, Tsubame-chan and forgive them, too," Jiraiya spoke in a rush. With the way the two were positioned, Jiraiya could see Ken, Shikarou and Inokku (as Jiraiya) arrive at the far end of the street. "Shikarou-kun just wanted to lower your arrogance, Inokku-kun just wanted you to tone down your fierceness and Ken just wanted to let you know how it felt like when you rejected his friendship."

Tsubame didn't say anything. And judging from the look on their faces, the other boys were starting the prank. Jiraiya puckered out his lip and began to fiddle with Inokku's cardigan sleeves.

To be frankly honest, he didn't know what gave her in to do such a thing. However, Jiraiya registered that Tsubame grabbed Inokku's cardigan jacket but couldn't react fast enough. Jiraiya was the fastest in his class, no doubt, but at the moment, it was no use. No matter how fast Jiraiya's mind was, Inokku's body was a bit slower. And before he knew it, her lips crashed onto his.

_"Shintenshin release!"_

Inokku stepped away as quickly as he could and fled to the rooftops. Jiraiya found himself back in his own body. It didn't take long to get used to himself though there was something that he couldn't shake from the experience. "I still taste her lip gloss!" Jiraiya whined instantly as his tongue hung from his mouth.

Ken gained some momentum and had his fist upright, ready to knock down anything in his path. He was heading straight for Tsubame. Jiraiya took notice. The only thing he was given about the plan was his role in it. To stall Tsubame. "Wait, Ken!"

A lot of things happened at once. Shikarou also retreated to the rooftops, in the same direction that Inokku was. One of his clones found Sai's location and it was eerily close. Ken, despite all his momentum, stumbled down headfirst into the ground. Tsubame didn't move to retreat or block from Ken's attack. However, she did flinch as Ken fell.

A black-and-white snake hissed at Ken as it restrained his fist and tied his wrists together, resulting in the Haruno boy attempting to rip the snake apart. Tsubame was the second to fall, as an inky snake wrapped around her legs and made her tumble. She struggled to get free, too.

Thankful to be back in his own body, Jiraiya noticed the snake that was attempting to ensnare him, too. He jumped back once, only to hear an unnatural squeak at the base of his feet. An inky mouse, this time, tried to bite at his feet. Jiraiya dodged once again and moved towards his teammates. He ended up between both of them before Sai arrived on the same street.

"This seems a little elaborate, especially for my taste, but when Sai came to us asking for help, we couldn't refuse," Shikarou explained, standing on top of the Yamanaka flower shop. He had his hands on his knees, leaning down and smirking towards the team. "My dad doesn't just stress the personality of women, but he also stresses the importance of teamwork. Inokku, Choko and I have that kind of teamwork inherited because of the Ino-Shika-Cho bond. It was also going to be assumed that you three were going to be the next Mushi-ken team, the three of you forever ending up in a three-way deadlock, just as your parents before you and the legendary Sannin before them. However, with your teamwork skills clearly lacking, you needed a push."

"You trusted Shikarou and Inokku in ways you didn't trust each other," Sai explained with a soft sigh, "It was clear from the moment I first met you three. That none of you understood the importance of teamwork until you had other reasons."

"How do you know that?" Jiraiya asked meekly, still standing in a stance where he could easily escape Sai's restraints.

"Because you didn't become interested until I said that the Hokage's lunch hour would be the finishing point. Ken didn't want to work with someone until he would serve an ego boost. Tsubame… I don't know much about a girl's heart, but it wasn't until your heartstrings were pulled that you decided to work in everyone's favour."

Jiraiya gulped and looked at the others, noticing the guilty flash in their eyes. He did realize a lot of things. The only thing fueling his drive to be a shinobi was doing his father proud. He knew he could easily help influence others without being one, as shown through his younger years. Ken did act out of vain most of the time. He wanted to be recognized for the effort and praised for his work. Tsubame didn't want to admit anything about how foolish she had been, so she refused such shortcomings.

"You guys are our friends and that's why we wanted to do this, so how about this time around, you do it right and work together?" Shikarou called out.

The snakes let loose of their hold on Ken and Tsubame. Sai's strange, true smile shone, though not much else was readable. "Yes, let's continue."

Jiraiya nodded once then reached his hand out to Ken. With a soft half-smile, the pink-haired boy took it and stood up. Ken then reached his hand out towards Tsubame, who gingerly took his hand and jumped up, dusting off the dirt on her clothes. She then looked towards Jiraiya, mimicked his lip puckering playfully. There was that same pink tint she had one from before, though she made no effort to flirt with him. As a result, Jiraiya sheepishly grinned back, rubbing the nape of his neck.

"Alright, let's do this!" Ken exclaimed, punching his open palm with ease. The other two nodded.

* * *

><p>It was a nice day out. The sun was shining and the sky was blue. The breeze was warm and the calming clamor of the village was comforting. It was the perfect setting to eat some deluxe homemade ramen on the office rooftop. Naruto was chuckling giddily as he snapped his chopsticks apart, letting the steam soak into his nostrils.<p>

"Oh, hi, Dad," Jiraiya muttered. Naruto's froze and his eye twitched, a habit that Jiraiya tried his hardest to suppress. He looked up to see his son hanging from one of the poles tied to a rope. He let out a small sheepish laugh. "Before you say anything, I'll have you know that I tried my best."

"So did we, Hokage-sama," Ken exclaimed as he sat landed on top of metal railing, crouching down so that his feet and hands were planted on the railing. Tsubame stood on it, crossing her arms over her chest with a smirk. Naruto was hit with a wave of nostalgia, seeing the three teenagers together.

"Well, it looks like they all passed," Naruto said, grinning his widest towards all three of the ninja. Jiraiya mirrored that grin. "But I want to know what kind of reason you got for being the one that's tied up, Jiraiya! Ero-sennin was tied up because he wasn't the smartest… And I was tied up… for similar reasons. But you're a smart little bean-ttebayo!"

Sai finally appeared, taking Naruto's chopsticks out of his hand wordlessly and engulfing some noodles. Naruto let out a loud yell as he attempted to move the bowl away from the Jonin before he could take any more.

"Jiraiya-sama volunteered to be tied up when I attempted to tell them that there were only going to be two Genin on the team. And the other two said that they were going to have to go back, too," Sai explained before reaching his chopsticks towards Naruto's ramen bowl, "So it seemed like they finally learned how powerful their Mushi-ken teamwork will work."

"Besides, it's no mystery that my father didn't value teamwork until later on in life. I'm going to prove better than that."

"Ah, it's not like Red Beam-sama and I don't work together well, already," Ken said with a shrug.

"And I wanted to know what it felt like to be tied up!" Jiraiya chirped with a chortle. Naruto finally managed to get his chopsticks back from Sai, then grinned up towards his son.

"No, Sai, you're not going to feed me! How many times do I have to tell you?!" Naruto yelled when the Jonin teacher relentlessly pursued the Hokage's chopsticks.

Tsubame gritted her teeth together, losing the friendly charisma she once had. It was replaced with the same "I hate people" face as it always had before. Ken's eyes twitched uncontrollably as he resisted the urge to hit both his teacher and his Hokage. Jiraiya was thankful he was tied up, since no one could notice how indifferent he was to the entire situation. Naruto was like this with a lot of people of his own generation, as they knew him for a long time. They knew he was obnoxious and hyperactive, traits he never really grew out of. He was rather outspoken and easy to tease, despite being the village's most respected leader.

_"Tsubame-chan, Ken and I were now a team. A Munshi-ken team, that will always find itself in a deadlock. There is no one force stronger than the other. Tsubame's arrogance hinders her talents and Ken's temper ruins his logic. I'm too polite for my own good, sometimes Dad calls it an overabundance of kindness._

_I wondered how our parents' deadlock was like. Especially since Sakura-san and Dad hardly talk to Sasuke-san anymore."_


	5. A Breath of Cherry Blossoms!

**The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi: Haruno Ken**

**A/N: **Hello there! First of all, thank you so much for the support this fanfiction has gotten so far! I really, really appreciate it! Second of all, for those who don't know, a shamisen is the Japanese equivalent of a guitar, and has a sound very similar to a banjo. Bachi is what's used to strum the strings and make an effective twang sound, much like a guitar's pick.

If you're curious about what a shamisen sounds like, go check out the Yoshida Brothers on YouTube! They are so great and they're the inspiration for Kurosawa, aha. For the record. Also, for the sake of no confusion later on, whoever's name is on the title of that specific chapter, is the voice of the inner monologue within the chapter. With that being said, enjoy!

* * *

><p><strong>5. A Breath of Cherry Blossoms!<strong>

* * *

><p>There were whispers as he walked, old women shifting their eyes towards him warily. He's been used to the contempt that the others had for him. There were people out there who had it a lot worse than him, of course. So to get mad at a bunch of gossiping crows wasn't worth it. Especially since it was for something as irrelevant as Sakura never remarrying after his father died.<p>

Ken still had on a sour expression as he walked alone, the sun setting off in the distance. It casted longer shadows and gave off an orange glow on the village street. He heard a whisper louder than others that made him tense up in frustration.

"His mother is an unusual one. She's unfit to raise him."

The young Haruno gritted his teeth in annoyance. He moved to kick a small stone out of the way as a way to write the whole thing off. Instead, the small stone flew down the street at top-speed. It landed in a barrel, creating a hole that took up most of the barrel's side. Ken gulped before continuing on his way. He did his best to ignore the more frantic whispers that seemed so much more powerful than him.

"Oh, Mom, you're home," Ken said as he opened the door, "I thought you had the late night shift at the hospital today."

Sakura looked up and smiled in the midst of her cooking. Ken thought idly about how much honey she was putting into the sauce but decided to avoid an argument altogether. There must be a special reason she stayed home. Usually, she holds her job at the hospital in the highest priority.

"Mm, I know, I got someone to cover for me because today… it's a really special day," Sakura explained in a strange, mysterious but sincere way. He sat down at the kitchen table and raised an eyebrow, his navy eyes trying to scan her expression.

Sakura looked solemn but adamant on maintaining a cheery outlook. Her green eyes were focused on what she was cooking. Her hair was longer than she had it done in a while, reaching down to just below her shoulders. Ken continued to study her, in hopes of figuring out what today was.

"How was the trial?" Sakura asked. Ken faltered a little, not wanting to admit that he was labelled as a temperamental grudge-holder.

"It was great. We passed, so all of us are Genin now," Ken explained, straightening his back, "I mean, we did do some humiliating things here and there but all of us came out, relatively unscathed."

Sakura let out a soft laugh as she dished out the dinner she cooked for the two. She was still rather quiet and mysterious, prompting Ken to take off his forehead protector. He got up from the table and put the forehead protector down on a small table in the den, where his mother's own forehead protector was kept and the only picture of his father stood proud. Ken let out a small smile before going back to the kitchen where his steaming dish was waiting for him.

"I told you how your father and I met and I made the mistake of telling you how your father died," Sakura began after she took a few bites of the food, "I never told you how much of an impact he had on my life. He was different than any other man I met in my life. He paid attention to me because I caught his eye, not because I put myself out in the spotlight. He made me realize that I didn't need to have everyone looking at me, I just needed the right person to. Today is the day that I your father proposed to me so I thought we should commemorate it with something else special, too."

The woman took a deep breath before standing up and walking into the den. Ken's eyes followed her. When she came back, she held a shamisen in one hand and a bachi in the other. She put the two items into Ken's hands, though he was still eating some of his food.

After he finally swallowed the large mouthful, he asked, "What's this?"

"It was your father's. He told me that he wanted you to be as good a player as he was but when the time was right. I think now is that time. Now, I don't know anything about the instrument or music, at all. But, your father's music partner has agreed to teach you, as a way for him to reconnect with his old friend and for you to get closer to him in spirit," Sakura explained sheepishly.

Ken let out a shaky breath as he stared at the instrument. It was light in his hands and felt delicate. Yet, he felt a weight in it that he didn't before. It was unusual. And it was enough for tears to gather at the corner of his eyes. Gingerly, he wiped at them with the back of his hand that held the bachi.

"Thank you, Mom," he managed to sputter out. His shoulders tremored as he desperately tried to cling onto the notion that he wasn't crying. But his continuing tears said otherwise. Like always. He never had a good grasp on his emotions.

"Thank your father, Ken," Sakura said softly before kissing his forehead, "I love you, I really do."

"I love you too, Mom."

* * *

><p>The moon was bright and illuminated his room with a silvery glow. He and his mother already finished cleaning up after dinner. Sakura was probably reading up on her medical history books once again, something she enjoyed doing while drinking her sweet fruit tea. Ken was said he was going to bed, as his first mission was the next day. However, Ken was far from tired and wanted time to himself to think.<p>

The shamisen was leaning against the back corner of his room, the bachi laying neatly on his dresser. They were suddenly held in such high regards, although the instrument was only introduced to him about two hours ago. Laying on the bed, Ken looked up at the ceiling.

_"My father was not a shinobi, if that wasn't clear already. However, he wasn't just some regular joe, either. My father was a famous musician and part of a travelling duo, doing shows all around the world. My mom said that he had never stayed in one place for too long, as he was always anxious to find new inspiration for his music._

_That is, until he reached Konohagakure. The duo, named Kurosawa after the village that the two best friends originated from, were in the village for part of their tour within the Land of the Fire. Konohagakure was their final spot and as a result, the Hokage gave them a celebrated welcome and a small festival in their name._

_Mom didn't go to the festival originally. Waiting for the man that never came, she was too immersed in work to fully enjoy life's small dealings. She went on the last day of the festival, pressured by her teammates to go._

_However, during one of their performances, a stage malfunction occurred, resulting in my father being crushed by a stagelight. If it wasn't for my mom's quick thinking, I probably would've never existed. She moved the stagelight off of him and did an operation on his leg instantly._

_The damage would've made my father unable to walk ever again. However, Mom was one of the greatest medical-nin and promised him that he would fully recover. She wanted him to be able to travel again, having fallen in love with the music that Kurosawa brought to the world._

_Sakura was then the doctor assigned to help him recover. It was then that she learned his name. Fuyuno Ibuki. Mom had said that she wanted to give me his surname but because he died before she gave birth, it was looked down upon._

_Honestly, everything was looked down upon about me. My birth, my upbringing. The only good thing I did was my interest in the hospital (when I'm treating their wounds and illnesses, ha)._

_My father's best friend visited him often and brought him his instrument. He'd play all sorts of songs during the day, as he had nothing better to do in the hospital room. His tunes were unlike any other and he was always playing._

_Whenever my mom was in the room, though, he wouldn't play. At first, Mom said she thought that he didn't want her to hear anything of his for whatever reason. She assumed that the barrier between doctor and patient was too big for him to play in front of her._

_However, something that the other doctors told me, was that they could hear him sometimes, playing a tune then stopping and suddenly cursing. They told me that even while he was practicing, he didn't curse as much as he did when playing that tune._

_On the last day that my father was in the hospital, Mom was seeing him off. She was filling out the final paperwork when he decided to finally ask her to a date._

_Mom wasn't the kind of girl to go on dates. She said she spent most of her teenager years chasing after one man and one man only, and when he left to find himself, she promised herself not to look at other men. However, she had grown fond of my father and agreed, saying it was only as friends that they do this._

_Thank the heavens that my father had other plans._

_On their first date, my father played a song that he had written just for her. He titled it after Mom. It was the same song that the doctors remember hearing him curse on again and again, persistent on getting it right._

_I remembered when Mom first told me about it, she blushed so much that she was pinker than her hair. It made her giddy just talking about it. She said it was the first thing that someone did for her that was perfectly cliche and romantic._

_The more time they spent together, the more travelling seemed like such a foreign thing to my father. He had told Mom that she was the first person he wanted to stay around just for the sake of being around her. He played songs for the children who were sick within the hospital so he could spend time with Mom on the job._

_It wasn't long until my dad's persistence paid off. He had fallen for her since she saved him on the stage, and she had fallen for him day by day afterwards. She said that it was hard letting go of her first love and she almost couldn't do it._

_What tipped the scale was how much my father was willing to stay for her. Just for her. He didn't want to leave her side, which was so different from her first love. He wasn't going to travel anymore, as his best friend also found a home in Konohagakure. Kurosawa had its run. He had officially made his entire world revolve around Mom. That's what made her decision._

_At first, Red Bean-sama's father, Naruto-sama, was against the idea. He knew Mom loved her first love more than she could bear. She agreed. She told me that if it wasn't for my father, she would've still been waiting for that one first love. Still, she was glad that my father came along because she finally understood what it meant to be appreciated._

_They moved in together. And within time, Mom became pregnant with me. Unfortunately, when my mom announced her pregnancy, things took a turn for the worse."_

Ken groaned as he felt someone shake him, not realizing he had fallen asleep.

"Ken? Ken, wake up! You have to start getting ready for our first mission!" Jiraiya's polite tone enthused, still shaking him.

The young teenager groaned again but this time, opened his eyes using a lot of effort. His eyes were hardly open as he glanced towards the Uzumaki. Jiraiya let out a polite grin, looking as relaxed and refreshed as ever. If it wasn't obvious, Ken wasn't a morning person.

"Why are you here?" he grumbled before closing his eyes and placing his hand on his forehead. He was attempting to muster the motivation to get up, get dressed and get ready for a full day with Tsubame and Sai. So far, there wasn't too much.

"You said that we'd go to the meeting place together," Jiraiya mumbled softly, looking a little butthurt that Ken forgot.

_"Don't do that, Red Bean-sama. It's no fair that you're twelve years old but have the looks of someone younger. You got so many people wrapped around your finger. I don't want to be one of them."_

"Alright, alright, I'm up, I'm going." To that statement, Jiraiya grinned brightly before walking out of Ken's room, greeting Sakura with a warm and excited "good morning". Ken snorted. Jiraiya's chipper voice could be heard as he continued to talk to Sakura, telling of the tales of yesterday's trial.

_"Shannaro! This kid is going to be the death of me."_

Ken sat up, looking around his room in a tired haze. However, his eyes rested on the shamisen that his mother had given him the night before. It stood alone and brilliant, a symbol of what his father once was. A symbol of his persistence. Ken would learn how to play just like his father did. He would be persistent, too.

_"Shortly after Mom's pregnancy was announced, along with the wedding that was going to take place, Mom's first love arrived back in the village. It led for tensions all around, especially between the previous teammates._

_However, her first love wasn't as forgiving as she had hoped. He didn't take to her pregnancy and newfound love interest very well. Not too long after he arrived, Fuyuno Ibuki was pronounced dead._

_There was a reported accident at the place he worked, and he was engulfed in flames. Everyone said it was such a shame, since the wedding was scheduled only a month from his untimely death. But there were also whispers. That it was fate's doing, as Sakura turned her back on the man she ultimately loved, a sin in the older generations' eyes. Thus, it was her punishment for doing so._

_For reasons unknown to everyone else except those of her previous team, Mom would no longer speak to her first love. She wouldn't even stand to be in his presence and avoided him at all costs._

_Mom told me about my father's death on my birthday, as I demanded it as a birthday wish. I was entitled to know why I had only one parent. Why Mom had to swallow her tears when her elders scolded her for being an unwed, single mother. Why some mothers wouldn't let my children play with me, as I was taboo. _'A child out of wedlock was never a good sign! He's unlucky, you're not allowed to play with him at the playground!'_ Shannaro!_

_It should also be noted that Uchiha Tsubame is about seven months younger than me."_

When Ken finally got himself out of bed and ready to go, he walked into the den where his forehead protector waited for him. He took it and put it across his forehead, tying it in a tight knot. He looked at the picture of his father, where he stood smiling towards the camera.

Fuyuno Ibuki was a handsome man, tall and toned. He wore a dark-coloured men's kimono as he smiled. In the picture, he was standing with his best friend, his partner in Kurosawa. Ibuki had light azure hair. It was long, kept up in a ponytail with fringe that came down to his chin framing his face. His navy eyes were bold and masculine, contrasting greatly against his ivory skin. Ken and Ibuki had the same face shape, which was angular and sharp. However, Ken still donned some baby fat on his cheeks.

_"Just when he finished repenting for his sins, Uchiha Sasuke killed my father. Although there was no evidence supporting me and Mom, it was clear. By the time help came, most of the flames were extinguished and some witnesses reported black flames (although this was written off as the witnesses who claimed such a thing were in shock and muttering things to themselves during the statements taken)._

_Mom knew the truth. I knew the truth. Mom forgave him, though she knew better than to let him back into her life._

_Uchiha Sasuke, for me, was as good as dead. He took my father away from me before I had a chance to meet him. He was dark and cold, no matter how much people say he changed. Mom always said to be the better shinobi and don't let hatred and revenge steer me wrong from my path._

_And I won't. Because that means that I would be a better shinobi than that Uchiha Sasuke ever was! Shannaro!"_


	6. New Announcement - The Chunin Exams

**The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi: Uzumaki Jiraiya**

* * *

><p><strong>6. New Mission: Cram the Training!<strong>

* * *

><p>Three months of D-rank missions wasn't enough to satisfy Tsubame. She made a point of it every time they met up together. Jiraiya didn't mind, though he told no one what he really did in his spare time other than cook for his dad. Ken was much the same way, but he was often caught humming different sorts of scales and simple tunes.<p>

"Aren't you all tired?" Tsubame cried out in frustration as the three followed Sai to barbecue. Ken raised an eyebrow, his eyes glancing towards her with no hint of amusement.

"Actually, I feel like I can do a couple of laps around the village," Jiraiya chirped, "I'm not tired at all."

"That's not what I meant, Red Bean," Tsubame exclaimed before crossing her arms over her chest. She let out a deep sigh, calming herself down before she continued, "Don't you feel as if we're just doing the same thing over and over again? We're either babysitting or catching some cat or weeding someone's garden or cleaning out some river! There's nothing exciting about these missions."

"Well, we are only Genin, Tsubame-chan. And, besides, the mundane nature of these missions allow us to focus more on our training. Which is what we're supposed to be doing anyway," Jiraiya explained, his tone instantly brightening when the barbecue shop was in view.

"Aren't you a little disappointed with these missions?" Tsubame asked Ken. The Haruno only huffed and shrugged.

To help curb his tongue and not start arguments with the Uchiha, Ken opted for talking to Tsubame as little as he could. Despite finding new resolve to cooperate with her, he still didn't agree with most of her outlooks and ended up in fiery competitions with the young girl.

When she found no answer, Tsubame scoffed and held her chin up high. Ken did agree with Tsubame, but to add fuel to the fire was a mistake he wouldn't make. Because now, Tsubame would go bring her complaints to Sai. That would only end up in an argument that'd give second-hand embarrassment to both Jiraiya and Ken.

"Eat well!" Sai proclaimed as the four of them sat down at a table. Jiraiya immediately began placing meat onto the barbecue, chirping on about certain herbs and spices that made for delicious sauces and seasonings. Tsubame commented absentmindedly on some of Jiraiya's ramblings, who was too ecstatic to notice that the other two weren't paying attention to him.

She took a strange liking to Jiraiya after the bell test, and more specifically, the attempted prank on her. She paid attention to him more kindly, although she always made a point that she didn't like red beans. Sometimes she'd snap and hit his head, but only when Jiraiya made one of his impulsive insults, such as when he called Tsubame and Ken terrible ninjas.

"So, I've been hearing that you're not liking these missions, Little Bird," Sai said as soon as Jiraiya calmed down about cooking the meat.

Sai had eventually stopped calling them 'little dicks' and had developed nicknames for each of them. He called Tsubame 'Little Bird' because her name meant sparrow. Ken's nickname was 'Iron Fist' as a play on words to his name. His name was spelt as 'healthy' or 'strong', but Ken could also mean 'fist'. Jiraiya's nickname was universal, everyone simply called him 'Red Bean'.

"If we are supposed to be getting stronger, shouldn't we challenge ourselves with more difficult missions?" Tsubame retorted, immediately placing a piece of meat afterwards.

"Missions are meant to be successful. There is too much risk on putting Genin on more difficult missions because the potential of failure rises exponentially," Sai explained, "But, as luck would have it, all of your missions have been a success so far."

"That makes a difference because…?" Tsubame asked sassily.

"Because, the Hokage needs a team that is under the age of 13 for a certain mission," Sai explained, "This mission entails travelling to a village near the outskirts of the Land of Fire. You are to find seven children, including the village leader's daughter, within the streets of an abandoned city, where the children were last seen. Originally, the Hokage attempted to send in a squad of Chuunin that are a few years older than you, but they couldn't get past a strange barrier ninjutsu that was put up around the city. The village elder then informed the team that only children who have not yet reached their thirteenth year can enter the city."

"Why is a barrier jutsu put up like that?" Jiraiya asked. All three Genin were suddenly tuned in, listening to their teacher with the utmost attention.

"The village elder said that it has been that way for as long as the village can remember," Sai took a small pause to put some meat in his mouth before continuing, "When the elder was younger, he heard stories of a ritualistic game where children went into the city on the village's accord and were never heard from again. The stories surrounded four hungry demons that promised protection in exchange for children every full moon. However, once many of the children who heard the stories were brave enough to go near the city, they were unable to enter."

"Couldn't the Hokage send a Jonin who specializes in space-time ninjutsus and then find a way to enter the city?" Tsubame asked with a raised eyebrow and a snippy attitude.

"It's a lot more complicated than other barrier ninjutsus and it's very ancient. It dates back to the era of warring shinobi clans rather than shinobi villages. There's not a person alive who can identify the ninjutsu," Sai remarked, "The only way to enter is to comply with the conditions."

"Why would the children go missing now?" Ken asked, bringing his hand up to his chin, "Obviously, it's been a long time since a child has gone missing in the city or the village leader wouldn't ask for shinobi to handle it. The stories could potentially have merit to them, but to my knowledge, there isn't any sort of demon that uses ninjutsu."

"Ah, this is where this document comes in," Sai exclaimed before reaching into the beige pack on his back. He pulled out a scroll and gave it to the middle of three, who sat on the other side of the table. That happened to be Jiraiya. "It explains in detail the story regarding the abandoned city and the ritualistic game that was played once. There is also a documented interview with the oldest daughter of the village leader, who says that her younger sister was invited to a game of hide-and-seek. The daughter has no idea of who could've invited her."

"This hide-and-seek game… is it connected to the ritualistic game?" Tsubame asked, peering over Jiraiya's shoulder at the scroll's contents.

"One can only assume," Sai chirped before clearing his throat, "You are the Genin team that was chosen to participate, as you have the highest mission success rate and the most progression since the Academy days. We are to arrive in the village on the day before the full moon, which is ten days away. As it takes three days to travel to the village, we'll leave in six. We are going to train as extensively as we can in those six days. This mission is meant for Chuunin-level shinobi, you know."

Jiraiya gulped and paled, the only color on his face being his 'x' cheek marks. Ken gritted his teeth, already attempting to lay out the best training plan for himself. Tsubame was unreadable.

"Looks like you got your wish, didn't you, Little Bird?"

* * *

><p>"This is all your fault," Ken exclaimed as the three rested in a closed off training area. Jiraiya had a scroll in his hand, and he was also surrounded by all sorts of notes and papers. He was hardly paying attention to the two, who were in the middle of a heated argument. Ken wasn't hesitating to yell at Tsubame, even if he had his shamisen in his hand and his bachi in the other.<p>

"What makes you think it's my fault? I wasn't one of the children who went missing!" Tsubame snapped back. She continuously beat her hands against one of the tall sparring poles, her blows resonating against the wood dangerously.

"You wished for something harder! And you got it. But you didn't think to consider the fact that we're not the best yet."

"How the hell can we become the best if we don't push ourselves to do harder things?"

"I, for one, am doing something very difficult but it's going to take time! I can't perfect my jutsu in six days!"

The two continued to yell at each other. Ken even stood up, leaving his shamisen on the ground in case he was going to use it as a blunt weapon against her. Tsubame stopped training her taijutsu and faced him head-on. Because both of them expended good reasons to be mad, they resorted to calling each other very profane names. Jiraiya winced at some of the insults, but other than that, he paid them no mind.

It wasn't until Tsubame threw the first blow that Jiraiya's head shot up to look at his teammates. Her punch sent him stumbling back. As a reaction, he spat towards her then let his fist fly like a piston. Ken was strong. His strength rivaled his mother's and she was known to have a killer punch. It was no surprise that Tsubame crashed into the sparring pole at full force.

"You goddamned giant!" Tsubame yelled out before attacking him once again. She relentlessly threw punches his way with Ken blocking some and others hitting his abdomen. With the force of her attack, Ken was slowly stepping back unknowingly towards a tree.

"Good-for-nothing brat!" Ken exclaimed before giving her another power punch. She flew back farther, implying that Ken was placing more chakra in his fist. Tsubame had coughed up a little blood from the trauma of the impact. Her dark eyes became steely.

With Tsubame's eyes dangerously set, Ken knew he was in some sort of trouble. Tsubame ran towards him, and even though she was intent on hurting him badly, Ken stood his ground. Tsubame had speed that was far more superior than Ken's, he wouldn't be able to dodge or counter-attack in time.

He prepared to block as best as he could, as Tsubame's hands began to charge with chakra. Tsubame was mastering the Chidori, a technique used by her father and the Sixth Hokage. However, she hadn't perfected it yet and was only able to send raw chakra to her arm in order to do some major damage. Even in its incomplete form, the Chidori was something not to be used against teammates.

Before Tsubame could land her blow, Jiraiya appeared in a quick flash, grabbing the Uchiha's wrist and effectively diverting her her path. The blow landed into the nearest tree, the trunk almost completely blown through. Ken was finally able to breathe safely, his chest heaving out of relief. "That… that was fast," Ken finally managed to pant out.

"It's something that I've been learning how to do for a while now," Jiraiya explained, as Tsubame tried to not get mad at the Uzumaki, "I wanted to be faster. To help me with my studies, my dad gave me the scroll to the Hiraishin no Jutsu to solve. Combined with my Body Flicker technique, I'd be as fast as my grandfather. I'm getting faster but I haven't solved the seal formula just yet. I'm hoping to in the next few days, because being that fast would be great for the mission we're going to do, right?"

"So that's why you're cramming," Tsubame muttered then looked at Jiraiya's pile of scrolls and notes. She clicked her tongue and crossed her arms over her chest. "Got to hand it to you, Red Bean, you're passing my expectations."

It was close enough to a compliment, Jiraiya decided and grinned even brighter than before. He looked back at Ken, who had regained his composure quite easily. Jiraiya attempted to punch Ken's arm lightly, as a form of affection. When Ken mirrored the action with the same playfulness, Jiraiya let out a yelp and rubbed his arm.

"You really are an iron fist, Ken," Jiraiya laughed out, attempting to write off the pain. Tsubame scoffed.

"My mom said that you should never mask your pain to others, Red Bean. Really, it's a bit immature, even for you."

"Calm down, it was my fault, Uchiha brat," Ken retorted before Jiraiya could have a say in anything. Jiraiya was not only quick on his feet, he was quick with his tongue, as well.

To attempt to reclaim the friendly atmosphere, Jiraiya bursted out, "Your mom sounds like a smart woman, though, Tsubame-chan. Her name's… Karin-san, isn't it? Uchiha Karin-san?"

"You don't have to sound so formal about it. Neither of my parents ever use honorifics. Why should other people use it for them?" Tsubame suddenly snapped. Jiraiya felt betrayed by his ability to be polite, as it backfired in his face completely.

"W-Well… it's still polite. I never offended anyone while being polite," Jiraiya mumbled. He began to fiddle with his arm warmers again, suddenly awkward and not as cheery.

"Yeah, just because your parents are blockheads, doesn't mean Red Beam-sama has to be. Or you, for that matter. It doesn't hurt to be polite, brat," Ken spat out, although it was meant to be more of a form of encouragement, before walking back to his shamisen. He began twanging out a slow tune, one that reached the ears with untold whispers of hardship. Jiraiya voiced his appreciation often about Ken's talent and never hesitated to turn his ear in. "I'll make you a deal, Red Bean-sama. If you master the Hiraishin before me, I'll treat you to whatever you want. If I master my jutsu before you, you have to treat me to anything I want. Deal?"

"You know you have the most rotten luck when it comes to gambling, Ken. It's worse than the Fifth Hokage's," Tsubame chided, though there was the sweetest hint of teasing in her voice. That notion, almost undetectable, was enough to keep Ken's fist away from her face.

"There's no harm in a little friendly competition. Alright, Ken, you're on!" Jiraiya proclaimed. Instead of doing something super cool like most training sessions would, the red-haired teenager began to study the scroll more vigorously. His eyes were the only things that were moving at a lightning-fast rate. Ken was doing no better, as he continuously practiced doing different scales on his shamisen. He played different rhythms and sometimes, his hands would glow blue as a sign of chakra manipulation.

Tsubame had her own jutsu to work on. She focused her chakra into her right hand and thrust forward, perfecting the stance of the jutsu. The Chidori would be difficult, if not impossible, to wield without her Sharingan activated. However, she hasn't gone through some incredible emotional attachment to someone yet. And she didn't know if she wanted to.

At first, she attempted to gain the Sharingan through chasing after Inokku but that didn't work. It was hard to be friends with much else people her age, especially since they all lacked the same irresistibility as Inokku did. However, after Jiraiya confessed about the prank and Ken continuously proving to match up to her, Tsubame dreaded that they'd be the ones that'd help awaken her Sharingan. She didn't want to be indebted to Uzumaki Jiraiya and Haruno Ken. She didn't want to owe her hard work to anyone else. She wanted to be better on her own.

"Tsubame-chan?" Jiraiya's voice called out, snapping her out of her inner turmoil. Her eyes glanced over towards him in her trademark scowl. To that, he simply grinned his widest. "Let's do our best, okay?"

The high-voltage chirping and flapping of a thousand birds could be heard as Tsubame gritted her teeth. She held onto her hand and charged at the same tree where she was redirected to by Jiraiya. It was hard to focus on where she was going, as the world around her was a blur. She thrust her hand forward. As the chakra burned a hole through the trunk, causing the large tree to tumble down, Tsubame could feel herself at a loss of chakra. She let out a jagged sigh as the chirping faded, feeling her knees buckle underneath her weight. She had begun to pant as she sat down and rested her back against the marring trunk of the broken tree. Ken and Jiraiya showed their impressed opinions through their expressions.

She had perfected it without the Sharingan. Something she could say that her father didn't do. But it seemed like she could only do it once. Tsubame wanted to say she hated Jiraiya's too-polite, too-cheery smile. She wanted to say it wasn't because of his support of her, despite her salty attitude. She even wanted to say it wasn't because of Ken's idiotic wry half-smile, something he gained from the musician of his father. She wanted to say that it wasn't because of them constantly egging her on, pushing her to get mad and get emotionally invested.

But it was. She was getting stronger because of the people she dared not to call friends. Even though they were the only friends she had.


	7. To Fix the Gaping Hole

**The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Kunoichi: Uchiha Tsubame**

**A/N: **Updated and modified on January 4, 2015. Apologies to anyone who has read before that date, I really was stuck in a rut. The only difference is instead of a mission, the trio is participating in the Chunin Exams, the previous chapter also has the same modifications. I just felt that this would progress the story faster, especially since a lot of other characters have different viewpoints and the best way for them all to meet would be in the Exams.

The next chapter should be up soon! Happy Holidays, everyone!

* * *

><p><strong>7. To Fix the Gaping Hole<strong>

* * *

><p>"You're late, your supper's gotten cold," Karin snapped as soon as Tsubame walked into the Uchiha household. As a response, Tsubame grunted. Karin didn't say anything else as Tsubame stalked up the stairs, hardly acknowledging both her parents. She let out a huge sigh as she threw her pack on the ground beside her bed. It didn't take her long for her to flop on the neatly made bed, wrinkling the once-pristine comforter.<p>

"Onee-chan! How was your day?" a small voice exclaimed happily, the small pitter-patter of feet entering her room. Tsubame looked up to see a small boy, grinning happily towards her.

"Ah, Hayato! It was okay, just a little tiring," Tsubame answered with a small smile, welcoming the small boy into her room. He didn't hesitate to jump in her arms, to which she responded by ruffling his hair.

Uchiha Hayato was five years old, with bright red as his predominant hair color. He had it styled not unlike his father when he was his age. It spiked up at the back, with fringe framing his face. Like his older sister, he was born with an unusual stripe in his hair, the black color taking up most of the right side of his fringe. His eyes were the same shade as his mother's, a bright red. They were round and pronounced underneath the pair of glasses that he wore. As a small child, he still had a perpetual blush on his cheeks that grew brighter when he was around his seniors. He wore black shorts and a royal purple t-shirt with the Uchiha clan symbol on the back.

"Aw, are you too tired to play ninja with me?" Hayato asked with a huff. Tsubame paused then let out a small smirk.

"No, I'm not too tired. C'mon, Hayato, let's go," she chirped then playfully hissed. "I'm a large snake and I'm hungry! Oo, little ninja, you look tasty!"

Hayato let out a laugh as he rushed out of the room and down the stairs. Hayato didn't try to conceal his footsteps, running through the house into the backyard. His laughter resonated through the walls, happy and cheerful. Tsubame was quick to follow, although she ran slowly enough to let Hayato have a chance.

As the two siblings played out in the backyard for what seemed like hours, Tsubame noticed a presence in front of their house. The chakra was bright and warm, like the same gooey feeling that Jiraiya's presence gave her. However, it wasn't like her comrade's. She was quick to guess who it was and as Tsubame creeped back into the den she heard the obnoxious, although adult, voice.

"Hey, Sasuke!" Naruto exclaimed as he took off his shoes. Tsubame heard Sasuke click his tongue in annoyance.

"I heard someone painted your name onto the monument this morning, dobe. I'm impressed."

"I didn't come here to get insulted at, teme!" Naruto exclaimed with his usual short temper. Tsubame's eyes widened at the outburst, as it was so different to Jiraiya's polite chirps. Naruto sighed then sat himself down at the table where Sasuke was sitting.

"Onee-chan, what are you doing? I thought we were playing ninja," Hayato whined as he tugged on Tsubame's hoodie. She looked down at her brother, then brought her index finger to her lips.

"It's time to figure out how quiet of a ninja we can be, okay? We're going to spy on Papa and his friend," Tsubame muttered quietly before moving into the mudroom, hiding within the shadows of the doorway. Hayato quickly followed suit, happily being as quiet as he can be.

"Jiraiya and Tsubame are getting along a lot greater now," Naruto began with a wide grin.

_"It was the same grin. The same goddamned grin. The grin that made me feel like my insides were made of flowers. Tch."_

"Do you think they're ready for the Chunin Exams? Do you remember our first Exams?" Sasuke asked with an aggravated sigh. His voice was cool, like spring water running over smooth rocks. The same voice that Tsubame owned.

"We weren't ready at all! Besides, that was a different time and age! You're not putting enough faith in your child, teme. Tsubame had a higher average than you when you graduated and Jiraiya's much the same. Kakashi-sensei always said that the next generation always surpasses the last. I agree with him," Naruto exclaimed. Although he sounded like he was always about to start a riot, Tsubame found truth in his words. "I trust them. All of them. I'm not going to pull them from the Exams."

"Even as a request from your best friend?" Sasuke asked, a heavy weight suddenly bearing in his voice. Tsubame's attention wavered.

_"Papa doesn't trust me? What, does he think I'm going to choke and run away, leaving the others on their own? After all I've done to make him proud… Papa doesn't believe in me?"_

"Sasuke, we've been through thick and thin together, even if you don't think so. When we were their age, we were reckless idiots. They're a lot smarter than us. We taught them well. They're going to be just fine," Naruto persisted then let out a deep sigh, "This time, you can't say I don't know what you feel like. Jiraiya is my son. He's my pride and joy. If he requested it, I would give up the Hokage position for him. I know how hard it is to let them go, to let them become the best shinobi that they can be. Sometimes, they'll forever seem like the small babies that wake you up in the middle of the night for and the toddlers who make you chase them down while they paint all over the walls. But they're growing and we're going to have to let them do that."

A deep sigh came from Sasuke. It was one of those hefty sighs. It was the sigh he gave to someone when he didn't want to admit they were right. Karin and Naruto got the majority of those sighs.

"It starts in 3 weeks then," Sasuke said as consent to Naruto's decision. Naruto's grin only grew, knowing that he was right.

"Ah, Karin, how's your young boy?" Naruto asked softly, "I heard he's growing into a strong boy, that little Hayato."

At his name, Hayato stopped being quiet and quickly strutted into the kitchen. He let out a joyous laugh as he went to hug Karin's legs. Naruto grinned, which Hayato easily mirrored. Tsubame didn't dare enter the kitchen, but she studied her little brother and her father's friend. They were both so bright. Naruto was obnoxious and Hayato was innocent… while Jiraiya was polite.

_"But all three of them had that same damned grin. I'm pretty sure if Mom were to let go of her sophisticated image… she'd have the same smile, too."_

"Oh yeah, this one's got more Uzumaki in him than Uchiha, don't you think? Look at that!" Naruto exclaimed. With no hesitation whatsoever, Sasuke's knife-sharp reflexes resulted in a spoon being thrown at Naruto's head. The Seventh Hokage spat out some profane language before pointing his bandaged hand towards Sasuke.

"Tch, once a dobe, always a dobe," Sasuke chided with a taunting tone.

_"I wanted to have that damned grin, too. I wanted to smile at my best friend like that, like all the stuff he'd drag me through didn't phase me at all. I wanted to smile at the people I admire the most with all the brightness that I could give. I wanted to give that kind of smile to strangers and to people who did me wrong._

_But just like Papa couldn't smile that brightly, I couldn't, either. There was just too much weighing at the corner of my lips. As brightly as the Uzumaki grinned, the Uchiha could frown just as sharply._

_It was just like Naruto said. Hayato was more Uzumaki. I was more Uchiha. I was capable of great love and great hatred as part of the Uchiha. It seemed like the Uzumaki had nothing but great love to give._

_Why couldn't I be like them and have that same damned grin?"_

Tsubame's fist clenched tightly, still hiding in the shadows. She wanted to curse out and thrash. She wanted to beat Ken until he was as pink as his hair. She wanted to reprimand Jiraiya until he paled into a powdery ghost. She wanted to feel like she was above something. Tsubame was so caught up in her inner turmoil once again that she wasn't paying attention to the adults' conversation.

That is, until Sasuke burst out with, "You know what it's like to know nothing about your parents. The difference is that you had neither as a child so the potential wasn't there. Jiraiya wants to know about his mother, whether he voices it or not. Didn't you?"

"He's right, Naruto," Karin said, "Remember when we found out we were both part of the Uzumaki clan? There was an instant connection, as if a part of us was found that we never knew was lost. We had an idea of family. Jiraiya's going to want that with his mother."

"Ah, geez, when did the love-smitten fool become a woman?"

"When I gave birth to two children, you dumbass! That kind of stuff changes you!"

"... You've matured, is all," Naruto said to calm down the scorching Karin. He let out a sheepish grin, and made dismissive motions with both his hands towards the red-haired woman. He let out a nervous chuckle before looking down. "I don't know how I'm going to talk to him about it. He's like her in so many ways. Strong… but delicate at the same time. He doesn't like stepping on people's toes and he gets nervous too easily. He's smarter than I ever was. But he's determined and inspired by the people around him. It's so hard to talk to him about his mother when it seems like he's already so in touch with her."

"We know how you feel but they'll figure it out eventually, dobe. Like you said, they're smarter than we were," Sasuke muttered, "The sooner you tell him, the better. Jiraiya is like you, too, and he's going to find a way to figure out who his mother is, whether you tell him or not."

Naruto groaned miserably, not wanting to think of such an idea. "You're right, I should tell him. But… after the mission. I don't want Jiraiya to be emotionally strained before the Exams, especially with what I have to tell him. There is just so much to say…"

Hayato yawned, indicating his bedtime. Which also meant that Karin would be making her way upstairs. She did her best to conceal her chakra signature, knowing that her mom was right there. Sasuke and Karin often let Tsubame run free, most often to train. That's probably where they thought she was. Tsubame quickly used the Body Flicker technique to reach the backyard so there'd be no trace of sound.

Tsubame sat down near the edge of the pool, the pale moonlight giving everything a silvery glow. A brisk breeze whistled through the gardens of the backyard, something that Karin did in her spare time. She let out a sigh and finally, unveiled her chakra so that others could sense it. It was a strange release, like a bone that finally cracked after hours of trying.

She hated judgemental asses. Mainly because they expected her to be just like her father. All the Uchiha had a bad reputation, though, her father was quite the poster boy for Uchiha trouble. She didn't want that. She wanted to be nice like her Uzumaki counterparts. But it took so much more effort to not snap at other people.

Because if there was anything she inherited from the Uzumaki clan, it was their temper. Just like Naruto's outburst and Karin's constant snapping, Tsubame was much the same. Except she had the Uchiha glare that made it a thousand times worse.

"It's getting cold out, come on inside now," Sasuke said as he opened the door to the backyard. Tsubame looked back and nodded once, acknowledging his request. The young girl noticed that Naruto had left as swiftly as he had come. She stood up once before dropping a small pebble into the pond.

"Ideally, kindness acts like ripples in the water do," Tsubame began, catching her father's attention, "You do one act then it slowly grows and stretches out, reaching places you'd never thought possible. But that's not the way it works with us Uchiha, is it, Papa? We're different. Our kindness doesn't reach out to strangers and is a luxury that can only be given to some people, the ones worthy enough."

Sasuke took a moment to respond. "There is one Uchiha who thought differently. He was truly kind and it reached strangers to extraordinary amounts. He protected the entire village from unnecessary bloodshed. His kindness was like the stone and the water. It's getting dark out, hurry inside."

As she closed the door to the backyard, a voice resonated in her head.

_"It was like a part of us was found that we never knew we lost."_

Karin and Naruto were survivors of the Uzumaki clan. Sasuke was the survivor of the Uchiha clan. This kind Uchiha didn't survive… but neither did Jiraiya's mother. They became something Tsubame and Jiraiya never knew they had lost until it was too late. Until the gaping hole was unrecognizable, where it was okay to have just stories about this Uchiha and just stories about a mother. But there was going to be a point where it wasn't okay. That was this obscure visit was about.

Jiraiya was asking about his mother, his missing part. Jiraiya wanted to know how he was different from his father. Tsubame should be asking the same questions, too. Because, Tsubame wanted to be kind; she wanted to bear the grin that people couldn't help but to mirror back. She was different than her father in that way and she wanted to know how.

"Papa, who was the name of this Uchiha? The kind Uchiha?"

"Mm. Forgive me, Tsubame, maybe next time." With that, Sasuke poked his daughter's forehead once as he sat back down at the table. Tsubame was standing up and had blinked from the strange interaction.

As Tsubame stepped up the stairs, she could hear her mother say, "Follow your own advice sometime, Sasuke!"

To which her father replied, "I am. But I'm following that dobe's advice, too."


End file.
